A Gardena man who shot a teenager in his front yard told investigators that he was afraid of the boy and his friends, who often used his fence and driveway as a short cut, an officer said in court Wednesday.

While Eiji Takara admitted that neither the 17-year-old victim nor his friends had ever threatened or injured him, his family or his property, he told police that he feared them because of their appearance.

“He said they had an attitude and a look that made him afraid,” said Gardena police Officer Steve Semko.

Following a preliminary hearing, Torrance Superior Court Judge Hector Guzman decided there was enough evidence to hold Takara, 36, for trial on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of possession of illegal assault rifles.

Guzman ordered that the soft-spoken Takara, who has no criminal record, remain jailed on $1 million bail – despite letters of reference and argument from his attorney vouching for his good character.

The victim, Bryan Villanueva, testified during questioning by Deputy District Attorney Abby Baron that he was at his nearby house with a friend, Josh Saraceno, 19, on Nov. 30.

Villanueva said Saraceno, who is Takara’s next-door neighbor, had “disappeared,” and he went to look for him along the path he suspected his friend traveled.

Villanueva said he used the block wall behind Takara’s residence at least 20 times previously as a short cut, despite Takara’s pleas that he stop.

He said he would climb up at Gardena Valley Christian School, walk about 12 feet, then jump down into Takara’s driveway.

On the night he was shot, he said he saw Takara in the driveway, apologized for hopping the wall, promised he wouldn’t do it again and then turned to leave.

As he did, Takara shot him in the right shoulder, Villanueva said. The bullet exited his back near his spinal cord, he added.

Takara never said anything to him before or after the shooting, Villanueva added.

He said he left to walk around the block toward home. He ran into his friend and passed out, Villanueva added.

On cross-examination, Takara’s attorney asked Villanueva if he was with Saraceno earlier in the day when he got into a fight.

When Baron objected to the question, attorney Richard Kaplan argued to Guzman that Takara believed his next-door neighbor and his friends to be violent – which went to his reasonable belief that he was in danger.

Kaplan also asked Villanueva if, in fact, Takara yelled at him to “stop,” as a neighbor testified she heard before the gunshot.

“He never said it,” Villanueva said. “Otherwise, I would have heard it.”

Takara told Semko that he was taking trash to the can by the front curb, and was armed with a gun, pepper spray, two knives, loaded ammunition magazines and a flashlight.

Takara explained he had the items with him in a belt holster because, in the month before, he had become “extremely fearful” of the victim and his friends.

He further explained that, when he was 8 or 9 years old, he was bullied by schoolkids who had the same attitude and look, Semko said.

Takara said he turned around to go back inside and saw the teen coming off the wall into his driveway, according to Semko.

He drew his gun, pointed it at Villanueva and told him to stop, Takara told Semko, but the teen kept approaching him – so he fired.

Takara had called police for assistance at least three times in the five weeks prior to the shooting, but felt they didn’t help, he told Semko.

Officer Atanacio Jimenez said he recovered the handgun Takara used inside the home, and described it as a 9 mm Baretta.

The next day, another officer was called to the house by Takara’s mother, who had found a cache of weapons and accessories in Takara’s bedroom.

Jimenez said the officer found eight to 10 guns, including a revolver, replica handguns and rifles, along with ammunition.

Two of them are believed to be illegal assault rifles.

Baron argued that Takara’s “war room” bolsters the prosecution theory that Takara meant to kill when he shot Villanueva.

“His intent is to shoot someone,” Baron argued.

Kaplan, who argued that the charges should be dismissed or reduced, said his client’s only intent was to protect himself, his family and his property.

“I think he was in reasonable fear for his life and he reacted reasonably,” Kaplan added.